As business has become more globalized, the use of conferencing systems, required for telephone and video conferences, has become more and more common. Conference participants are often widely distributed geographically. In addition to “pure” video or audio conference execution, mixed forms of this application are also possible, in which, for example, participants use only the audio channel to participate in a video conference, as might occur when one or more conference participants are traveling and wish to participate in the conference, but have only limited data transmission capability available to them. Compared to a conference at which all participants are present, it is more difficult to handle participation and action in a virtual conference. This means that these types of conferences often last longer than desired, while occupying the system resources associated with them, in particular the use of corresponding conferencing systems and the related energy and telecommunication costs. To improve the participant experience in such teleconferences (hereinafter simply called conferences), speaker identification can be used, for example, to show which participant is currently speaking. The participants can be arranged in a virtual conference room, for example, so that the orientation of the person currently speaking is made easier in audio conferences.
There are multiple known techniques for facilitating the execution of telephone or video conferences. EP 1 271 341 A2 discloses a system for analyzing text data in order to display, in particular, information concealed in text data, so that certain merchandise items can be offered to customers in a more targeted manner, for example.
In addition, WO 2013/086301 A1describes a teleconference access system in which participants are brought together into the same teleconference, supported by a computer. The system includes a unit that can use remarks from participants, entered in text form, to filter out a consensus that may have been reached.
US 2012/0323575 A1 describes a system with which the content of what a speaker is saying can be visually represented and with which, if applicable, the mood or emotions of the speaker's content can also be grasped and represented.
FR 2949894A1 discloses a system with which a speaker's courtesy, in a television discussion, for example, can be grasped and represented.
The goal of a conference is often to resolve one or more differences regarding certain issues. When such a conference is conducted, often the most widely differing camps form into coalitions of those participants in favor, those against, or those remaining neutral, which can still change during the course of the conference. There can also be a unanimous consensus at the end. It can also occur that some participants do not get any or a properly timed opportunity to speak, making the conference inefficient, which generally results in an unnecessarily long conference.
None of the aforementioned documents can help a conference organizer or moderator solve all the problems described.